The present invention relates to a process for bending glass and more particularly, the present invention relates to a process for bending glass in the absence of applied heat or ancillary apparatus for effecting the bending.
Glass bending techniques have been previously proposed in the art. Generally speaking, the known techniques involve sizeable devices having press rollers and arrangements for applying heat. The heat is required to render the glass more malleable and thus bendable without fracture. Force is applied by rollers or other devices and sustained during cooling of the glass in order to xe2x80x9csetxe2x80x9d the desired shape. Although useful, this technique typically involves a large area to accommodate the apparatus, skilled workers to operate the apparatus and has inherent limitations regarding the extent the glass can be bent prior to breakage.
Representative of the art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,976, issued to Kuster et al., Feb. 3, 1998. The reference teaches a process for bending glass sheets where the sheets are in pairs and are subjected to a preliminary stress on a concave bending device. The profile of the device corresponds to the desired final profile of the glass sheets. The bending is also assisted by suction. The apparatus used to effect this bending is fairly complicated and involves multiple stages in order to effect the desired result.
Funk in U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,726, issued Jan. 4, 2000, teaches a further variation of glass bending methodology and an apparatus to effect the process. In this process, the glass being bent comprises an outer glass pane and an inner glass pane of laminated safety glass. The method is effected by a press bending device having a bending phase, a discharge phase and a means for conveying the glass from operational base to the other. The bending is effected by a combination of stress and heat where the unit to be bent is heated to a bending temperature. Once again, this method involves an apparatus that is fairly substantial and further, requires the use of heat in order to effect the bending.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,370, issued to Garner et al., Mar. 16, 1999, employs a molding apparatus which effectively applies weight to the unit to be bent and further incorporates the application of heat to raise the temperature of the unit sufficiently to effect bending. A cooling phase is also required to xe2x80x9csetxe2x80x9d the bend in the glass.
From a review of the art, it is evident that there is no provision for any process where heat is not required to effect the bending or any significant apparatus for the application of a preformed weight, etc.
It would be desirable if there were a method for bending glass or otherwise reconfiguring the glass from its initial planar state to a finer state by bending, twisting or otherwise manipulating, which method did not require the use of expensive apparatus, preformed molds or the application of heat. The present invention addresses all of these needs.
A generic object of the present invention is to provide a process for bending glass which is not encumbered by the use of high temperatures or expensive apparatus to effect bends in glass.
A further object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a process for bending glass, comprising:
providing a first sheet of tempered glass and a second sheet of tempered glass;
providing an adhesive capable of bonding with the tempered glass;
applying the adhesive to at least one sheet;
positioning the first sheet of tempered glass in overlying relation with the second sheet of tempered glass forming a joined unit with adhesive there between;
providing flexible holding means for holding the joined unit during fracture of the glass;
fracturing the glass; and
bending the joined unit within the holding means into a desired shape.
The process in accordance with the present invention is distinguished from, for example, safety glass preparation in that there is a requirement in the latter for a layer of support in the form of a plastic, inter alia, sheet. The present invention employs a settable adhesive between the sheets. Once the sheets are fractured locally or entirely, the adhesive penetrates interstitially of the individual fractured segments and between the sheets to result in innumerable bonds thus providing a consolidated unit. The provision of a holder or temporary containment member in the form of, for example, a flexible sheet imparts integrity to the formed structure while the adhesive sets. This is easily removed once the adhesive has set.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a process for bending glass, comprising:
providing a first sheet of tempered glass and a second sheet of tempered glass;
providing an adhesive capable of bonding with the tempered glass;
applying the adhesive to at least one sheet;
positioning the first sheet of tempered glass in overlying relation with the second sheet of tempered glass forming a joined unit with adhesive there between;
providing flexible material for temporary overlying contact with each sheet of the unit during fracture of the glass;
fracturing the glass;
bending the joined unit into a desired shape; and
removing the flexible material upon setting of the adhesive.
Evidently, the process can produce a host of articles including as examples furniture, works of art, building materials, signage, among a host of others.
Another object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a contoured glass article, comprising:
a first contoured layer of shattered tempered glass;
a second contoured layer of shattered tempered glass in overlying relation with the first contoured layer and in a mating contour with a contour of the first contoured layer; and
cured adhesive between each the layer to provide fixture of each layer to the other and between individual shattered glass segments of each of the first contoured layer and the second contoured layer to form a consolidated contoured article.
Having thus described the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments.